Chapter 1585

"Hmm."

Everyone nodded in unison, and Starry walked straight toward Bai E without looking back.

"Step forward. Under the witness of 'Pioneering,' let the common name of the 'Savior' be sung through the ages—'The Nameless Hero, Kaesulana'!"

"I see. The ashen dawn rises. It burns me. I become fuel."

"To break the dawn of the next life. Light the fire!"

—

Honkai 3.

"I will fly up to the horizon and greet my own victory with a fall."

Kevin watched Bai E soar into the sky within the celestial canopy, and suddenly recalled the words spoken to him long ago by that dying philosopher.

"Now, you must greet your own victory with a 'fall'... Bai E."

To prevent the sun from setting, he flew to the horizon, seized everyone's light, then melted and fell upon the sea's surface.

Kevin knew clearly in his heart that Bai E had always awaited this day, longing for the ashen dawn to illuminate Wengfaluo Si's darkness and carry its people toward a higher horizon.

"Kevin, seeing Bai E embrace his own ending, you are actually glad, aren't you?" Ailixiya suddenly asked.

"Hmm." Kevin lifted his head to gaze upon the ominous "Black Sun" drifting in the celestial canopy, and replied in a deep voice, "After thirty million cycles of rebirth, Bai E has finally awaited what he spoke of. His 'futility'... truly created a miracle."

"Ah... it's a pity Xiao Xilian is not here, and now Bai E too must be gone." Patrick drooped his ears, propping his chin with his hands, "Those who once planned this project spanning thirty million worlds together are all to be gone."

"But, Patrick, their plan succeeded." Ailixiya leaned in, pinching Patrick's cheeks, "Alright, if Xiao Xilian and Bai E had known back then that their plan and efforts would bear perfect fruit on this day, they would have been overjoyed beyond delay."

—

"Facing the assault of the crowd, Bai E offered no resistance."

"Do not hesitate. Savior. Shatter this body. Kill. Destroy the giant."

Star's gaze firmly nodded: "I understand. For Wengfaluo Si!"

"The hatred of the Iron Tomb. Bottomless. It shall become billions of factors, sweeping across the stars."

"If that moment comes. Promise me. Use the Purifying Golden Blood, burn everything."

"I understand—I promise you!"

Bai E's body began to crack piece by piece, the black tide within him surging continuously outward: "With this fierce fire, I wish you success in all endeavors."

The final strike landed, Bai E could no longer endure, and collapsed to the ground.

His body was now covered in fissures, and even speaking began to falter intermittently.

"Destruction Rebirth Salvation Purification Thirty Million Turns"

"Heartbeat Bell Sound Resounds"

"Promise Me The Dawn's Light Amidst the Stars"

"We will never betray your wish!" Star's gaze was firm, word by word: "'Pioneering,' then... 'Salvation'!"

"This Way Just Like This"

"At Last Golden Wheat Field Starry Sky Warm Fire"

Bai E lifted his head, his body shattering into fragments in an explosion, utterly dissipating in the wind—only to see in midair a golden and a blue orb entwined and rotating, compressed to the extreme, finally becoming a radiant light point merging with the black hole in the sky.

"Boom——!!!"

Two black giant hands protruded from the rift in the sky, gripping the edges of the tear, and actually tore the entire sky apart!

—

Ha Li Er Er Potter.

Ha Li Er Er saw.

The black sky, like a shattered mirror, crashed down with a roar, revealing the deep, boundless cosmos of stars. Amidst the crimson light, a colossal silhouette, vast enough to induce breathlessness, loomed faintly within.

It was truly too immense—so vast that Ha Li Er Er could not even take in the whole at once.

No head, no expression—only a magnificent form composed purely of the concept of "Destruction" and cold mechanical construction. It resembled a tomb... prepared for all "wisdom," indeed the entire universe.

"He, he tore open the entire sky..."

Ron's lips trembled, his face pallid. Many students like him were not few; the vast majority had fallen into extreme panic.

"I heard this year's Hogwarts security measures have been greatly strengthened." Hermione whispered to Ha Li Er Er, her psychological resilience far surpassing most students', yet even so, the cold sweat beading on her forehead betrayed her.

"In other words, Hogwarts' defenses have already been fully activated, right?" Ha Li Er Er asked.

"Hmm." Hermione firmly rubbed her brow, "But the Iron Tomb... is an enemy Hogwarts has never faced before. Though the outer barrier contains various ancient spells, it has never guarded against an enemy of the Iron Tomb's caliber."

That ominous form and aura differed from any Envoy the Astral Express had encountered before. Ha Li Er Er still felt for the first time that the Astral Express was not fighting an Extinction Sovereign, but slaughtering alongside a star god...

—

The Funeral of Frieren.

"The Iron Tomb has appeared! All personnel, stand by—!"

The streets were empty, save for two Class-2 mages still constructing magical barriers at the city's edge, attempting to preempt any subsequent impact.

A semi-transparent shield rose above the city—

This was the twelfth layer of defense, a magical barrier by no means weak. Besides Saili Ai's own defensive magic forming the core, soldiers had even built numerous underground bunkers for civilians to take shelter. Saili Ai even issued an order: before the Iron Tomb's battle concludes, no mage may enter or exit the barrier, and must devote all effort to maintaining its operation.

"That is the Iron Tomb, the Sovereign who denies 'Wisdom'..."

Saili Ai lifted her head, gazing at the vast, lifeless form in the celestial canopy, and exclaimed in astonishment.

Ominous, twisted, chaotic...

Even after living so many years, Saili Ai had never seen such an absurd existence. She finally understood why Zandal held such high expectations for the Iron Tomb—this monster simply cannot be measured by Envoy standards.

"Lady Saili Ai, do we need to go help?" Jian Ze asked respectfully from beneath the throne.

"No, all first-class mages must not move." Saili Ai rose slowly, "The Iron Tomb has not yet launched any attack; there is no need to expend magical power on the barrier. We shall respond only after it begins its assault."

—

"Please bear witness, King of Ten Thousand Machines, to my absurd creation."

"Laigushi stood on Wengfaluo Si's radiant light band, arms outstretched, as if to embrace the 'Destruction' of 'Knowledge'."

"The 'moment' in your calculations—named 'Destruction'!"